The UK government has published a fifteen-week consultation seeking public input on how equal pay laws can better protect ethnic and disabled workers while boosting pay transparency.
The consultation is being led by the Office for Equality and Opportunity and closes on October 27, 2026, with a full analysis of responses to be published after that date.
The initiative stems directly from the government’s Make Work Pay plan, which is committed to extending the rights of ethnic and disabled workers across British workplaces.
The consultation is structured around two main phases, the first targeting outdated, reactive, and costly structures within the existing equal pay framework.
Among the proposals in phase one is the reintroduction of equal pay questionnaires, which would make the claims process more accessible by helping employees determine whether they have a legitimate case.
The government has also proposed creating a new Equal Pay Regulation and Enforcement Unit within the Office for Equality and Opportunity, tasked with enforcing pay obligations and demanding audits where discrimination is suspected.
A lack of pay transparency in the UK currently leads to job candidates applying for roles they might not have pursued had salary information been disclosed from the outset.
Ambiguity surrounding pay can also lead to bias against women, ethnic minorities, and disabled people when those setting compensation levels hold unchecked prejudices, and can result in more tribunal claims.
Phase two of the consultation focuses on extending and improving existing legal protections, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that equal pay rights for ethnic minorities and disabled people match the current protections based on sex.
The government has also signalled that employers should take greater accountability for pay equity in outsourcing arrangements, noting that a disproportionate number of contract workers are female, disabled, or from ethnic minority backgrounds.
These outsourced workers typically cannot compare their pay with directly employed colleagues, and a significant pay gap exists between the two groups as a result.
The UK currently requires organisations with 250 or more employees to calculate and publish key pay metrics annually, capturing the difference in average earnings between men and women.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970) provides important context, as the UK government appears eager for its framework to remain competitive and clear alongside EU member states.
The UK’s current proposals remain conservative compared to the EU directive’s baseline requirements, though growing implementation across EU member states may push UK policy toward closer alignment in the future.
Following the October 27, 2026, deadline, a staggered approach to structural changes is planned, giving employers sufficient time to adapt their policies and practices ahead of any final legal regulations.